Dusk, Dawn, Die
by raynaheart23
Summary: A century is all it takes for your life to change. Seems a long time, but time really flies when you're asleep. Hannah is alive, but missing and doesn't want to be found. Ciel has to deal with change, which he isn't quite fond of and Alois and Luka are demons... who's souls are linked to Ciel's. Hopefully no one dies... at least, not again. They might not come back.
1. Nocturnal

It was dark. The water was still, soundless and unmoving. The complete silence of everything on and around the island was rather disconcerting. That was to be expected, however. It was The Island of Death, after all.

The Island of Death was a demon's sanctuary reserved for battles and covenants; humans were the only other beings able to be present there, and they would have to be somehow involved in the event. The last of these to take place left it in disarray and near to destruction, but it was no longer that way. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it.

Yes, there was a boy on the island. He sat up abruptly, frightened by his inability to see. He didn't want darkness, so his wishes were adhered to as the crystals lit themselves all at once, not just in green, but in blues, reds, purples and many other colours illuminating the scene. But that alone could not dispel his worries. After over a century Alois Trancy, born Jim Macken, had awoken. What troubled him the most was that he was unable to sense the soul of the demoness he knew as "Hannah Annafellows" and the signature of his brother, Luka Macken, was very faint. "Luka!" he screamed, eyes wide, hardly even reecognising that the voice he used was not his own. We may never know what it is that he would do had the words "I'm right here" not registered themselves in his mind. The relief he felt was instantaneous, by association with one simple voice. Luka wasn't dying or anything, rather, he was also at rest. But how could souls sleep? They were ever present, ever functioning in day and night, whether you were in heaven, hell, earth or limbo— if most of those places existed to begin with. Was Hannah's soul asleep as well? But if that were the case, wouldn't Alois have sensed a trace of it as well, since they all shared a body? In that moment, Alois realised something. Both his and Luka's souls felt different, and he held control over Hannah's body. It wasn't as though he had expertise in demonology and consciousness, but he knew that this wasn't a good sign concerning her presence.

For years he had treated her terribly, out of mere fear. Even so, she had subsided and submitted to him, despite the fact that she could kill him easily in less than a second.

Now, Alois freely cared. He told himself that it would have served him right, after how downright cruel he was before.

"Jim, are you okay?" Luka was concerned. While he didn't know the cause, he could feel the negativity radiating from his brother's soul. All he wanted was for Jim to be happy. That was what the brunette boy lived for. While they have completely different physical appearances, the siblings shared quite a bit in common personality-wise. One of those common traits was selflessness. They didn't realise that fact, nor understand its true extent just yet, but they would in time.

"I'm fine, Luka. I just don't know what happened to Hannah."

"What about that paper?

"What pa— oh." There was a letter right next to him. He was about to start reading it, but on its own, the contents were fed into their thoughts. Of course, it was from Hannah.

"Luka, this looks like our answer. About bloody time, too."


	2. Void

It was empty. The cup of 'morning tea', that is. Thinking about it, however, this seems to reflect certain emotions of the person receiving it.

"Today, your tea is non-existent, as always."

While this was true, it wasn't usually pointed out. That of course, breaks the character of their routine. Ciel looked up, wondering what it was Sebastian wanted to say.

"You are aware, young master, that you could be able to consume the food of humans once you sustain yourself and train?"

"I am aware. You have given a similar reminder recently."

"Yes, it was fairly recent. About twenty-five years ago, if I recall correctly." Something was different about Sebastian's voice. Maybe it was the intent of sarcasm.

Ciel was silent. If he was asked about the general timeframe that had passed since any event whatsoever, you wouldn't get an answer. While it wasn't entirely uncommon for demons to lose track of time, taking their life span into consideration, it was quite strange coming from Ciel— mostly because of his reason for it. But then, the very same reason that was so strange was exactly what made it seem normal.

As a human, Ciel was a very temperamental person. This, however, wasn't caused only by an inclination to become irritated. What Ciel did was to substitute his faults, shortcomings, weaknesses and even other emotions with anger. He wasn't only being hateful; almost everything he did stemmed from that one feeling. When he was granted general immortality, he let go of hatred, the 'curse' that ever weighted his heart. Now, without that hatred to fuel his anger, what would he hide his fear behind? How would he be able to deny the existence of his guilt and sadness? He wouldn't. And it only got worse. Hatred had embedded itself into not just his personality, but into every fibre of his being. Devoid of hatred, he didn't feel like much was left of him, and he would never be able to go back to the innocent child he once was. What many demons feel is emptiness, accompanied by a hunger for human souls. Ciel felt both, and it frightened him. His fear, his guilt and his routine life were what he believed to be the last remnants of a human self. So he clung to it, remaining unchanged for over one hundred years, because he desired to stay human.

"It will be necessary, very soon, for you to abandon the 'copycat realm' and move onwards."

"Go away, Sebastian." Obviously, Sebastian wouldn't understand this. He was simply unable to. If he was ever human, those memories had long since been erased and lost with time. Ciel feared such a thing happening to him. His memories are what made him. If he was feeling empty now, without memories of the past what would he be?

"All demons who haven't fed, especially 'new' demons, must at some point enter the City Sine Lumine. You are no exception. On the contrary, actually. I believe it applies even more to you as—" Sebastian stopped speaking instantly and rushed to catch Ciel, who was unconscious. "This is exactly why." The butler sighed. "A word to the wise is sufficient. Then again, the young master has never been particularly wise; he was always quite irrational."


	3. Rebirth

"So we're going to get our bodies back?" Luka asked, clearly excited. True, he enjoyed being one with his brother, that way he knew that one could never lose the other, but he would like to be able to walk, talk and run. You can't really 'play' with anyone if you can't physically move.

"Not exactly, Luka. Our bodies have probably rotted leaving nothing but bones a long time ago. These ones are like copies of them." They walked towards the room underneath the building. Demons hardly ever stay in one place, but their 'homes' aren't far from what humans live in. Unless you count all the barriers, ritual rooms, fantastic objects, instability and dark aura, it seems almost the same.

"Do you think Hannah is in a copy too?" They waked around items that were on the floor- who knew what would happen if they stepped on them- and two strange looking necklaces clanked together in Alois's hand.

"I don't know. Maybe." They were in the room the letter directed them to. There were no exact words given to them at the time, only images and an understanding. That proves a very effective way of communicating.

Alois placed the body resembling Luka's former into a container of water obtained surrounding the Island of Death then set purple crystals in it. "Are you ready, Luka?"

"Yes. I'm ready."

"Somnus est ortum. Demon nequit consumat animas fratrum suorum figet tabernacula. Exiit daemonium de corpore excludente finierint. Luka Macken! Ingredere in novum corpus! Victurus vitam novam; Teneris usque destructo corpore."

The light from the crystals stretched across the air and connected in a chain to form a pentagram, which reflected itself into the clear liquid. The eyes from what was once Hannah's body glowed with a deep red as the strong gust of wind blew its hair upward causing it to thrash about and tangle itself. The water swirled around, splashing and changing colour until it turned as black as the night.

Suddenly, everything became still. Alois, who was still in Hannah's body, collapsed to the ground.

"Are you okay, Jim?" For the first time in many years, Alois saw his brother with a physical body, and could hear him with his own ears.

"I'm fine, Luka. I'm just tired. I know Hannah said that we're demons and everything, but I haven't done anything like this before."

"You should rest." Alois chuckled at this. Something about the high-pitched voice combined with concern and command granted him amusement, and relief at the same time.

"Okay, Luka. I'll rest."


	4. Sustenance

The water was cold. Ciel sat up quickly, only to hit his head on a structure above him. He choked on the water that he was forced to lie in. Then, he was finally granted light, and removed from what appeared to be a concrete burial vault. Strange, since Ciel remembered only ever seeing them made from brick or metals.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"A ritual, young master. You would have fallen into a millennium of sleep otherwise, then you would go rogue and consume any human souls you could obtain. I very much doubt that the aftermath would be enjoyable in the slightest."

"Ah, saving me the trouble of severe psychological scarring."

"If I couldn't do that much, what kind of butler would I be?"

"A cruelly demonic one. Where exactly are we?"

"We are at a… conveniently existing location in City Sine Lumine."

Ciel was silent as he was skeptical. What did Sebastian mean by that?

"Who the hell are you? Last I checked I owned everything here— except for that crap over there. I don't have a white burial vault." A demon that appeared no older than fifteen years old suddenly appeared. His knee length black hair swished, as he clearly had just rushed in. Not such a convenient place to be in anymore, is it?

"I believe it's time to take our leave." Sebastian was about to carry Ciel out, when a knife whizzed past him— after splitting his ear, of course, leaving a wound that did not regenerate.

"Like hell I'm just letting you run off! Who the fuck are you, and what are you doing on my property?"

"It seems I have been rather careless."

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A/N: Hiya readers! I'm Rayna. Yes, Sebastian was careless. There is a reason that our oh, so perfect butler made a mistake, I promise. Shortest chapter yet, sorry about that. It just can't be extended, so, yeah. Bye!


	5. Sirens of Power, Sirens of Peace

The Macken brothers were elated to be in bodies of their own. They were less thrilled about keeping Hannah's locked in an empty room, however.

"Give the third amulet to Ciel Phantomhive," Hannah requested in a second letter. Why exactly did that need to be done? Why didn't she take it?

The Siren Amulets are important objects of great supernatural power. According to the story, there were three sisters who had been demons since their birth. To date, how this was possible has yet to be revealed. Noelani, the eldest sister, was known as the Siren of the Skies. She had wings like a bird, and often made it her pastime to soar above the clouds and see the lands. She held abilities concerning heat and cold, bringing snow, hail and rain down from the skies and control of mist at any time. Coventina, the second born, was said to be the Siren of the Ocean. She had a tail, quite like that of a fish, and scaly yet beautiful skin. She has been likened unto mermaids, but not one of those creatures could rival her beauty and charm. She could control water; she could freeze it, evaporate it, move it or even create it from the air at will. The last sister was Kesia, the Siren of the Earth. She stayed in the meadows, and it was said that in whichever one she had gone, five leaf clovers would grow. She had powers over plants, and could cause earthquakes with one strike. Molten metal right from the earth's core could rise and be used to scorch you if she wished it.

Despite being born as demons, they were the first of their kind to have lived alongside humans, and were always self-aware. They outlived their human 'parents', however and unwittingly caused disaster about their house in despair. There later came a time, when humans would hunt supernaturals down, so they gathered all the people of their kind who were not cold and cruel, and established what we now know as 'City Sine Lumine'. In actuality, it is an island, but it as there were no segregations as there are now, it was referred to as a city. There were barriers that kept humans from even noting its existence, even more so to enter. It was a peaceful place, but one day, the Sirens were corrupted by something that was dark to the point that it was unknown. It still is. Yes, it is quite ironic that a demon can 'go rogue' but this caused massive destruction that even the protection the city had could not contain it. A group of demons with enough strength allowed them to regain themselves once more for only a mere few hours, time which the sisters spent sealing themselves away in amulets which will force them to do naught but protect their wearers.

It was understandable that one went to Luka, and one to himself, but Alois wondered why it was necessary for one to be given to Ciel.

"Jim, that Ciel guy, didn't you hate him?" The blond sighed.

"I did."

"What'd he do?"

"Nothing unwarranted. It was a big misunderstanding."

"Oh."

At the moment, they were practising the most basic type of glamour, appearance change. Start small, people always say, so they worked on developing the extremely simple skill of modifying their hair colour.

"Yes!" Alois' hair was streaked brown, but the rest just became frizzy and unkempt. "I'll have to work on that."

"Nothing happened to mine."

"It's alright, Luka. You don't have to get it the first time."

"This is the fifth time!" The brunette was persistent still, and tried again. His eyes widened at the results. Every strand of his hair had become platinum blonde.

"Shit! You just— even I couldn't do that so quickly! You've got natural talent." Alois ruffled the strands of Luka's now light hair.

"Stop messing with my hair!" Luka moved his brother's hands.

"Oh, you think you're so high up now that I can't touch you?" Alois gave a mischievous grin. "I'm coming for you Luka!"

"No!" They laughed and screamed with amusement and joy as they chased each other around the house. Hannah would have been happy to see this scene. Alas, she could not, as there were pressing matters she had to attend to if she wished well for her former masters' lives.


	6. Strange Demons

Why would a demon own objects like this? No, forget the why, how did he obtain them? This is what Sebastian wondered. Ah, yes, Sebastian 'One Hell of a Butler' Michaelis. Normally, he would seem almost perfect, but as of recent he was become weaker and has lost his edge. The effects of extraordinary demonic hunger are to blame. Another thing to note is that millennia have passed since Sebastian last entered the City Sine Lumine, which gave a definite disadvantage. In addition, his thoughts had gradually been becoming stranger, though that is a story for another day.

"You're telling me that you just waltzed in here to do some ritual that erases the need for souls for five years?"

"Yes," Sebastian answered.

The raven-haired demon who introduced himself as 'Charlie' gave them an incredulous look. What was rather peculiar, however, was the fact that the ropes that bound Ciel and Sebastian drained demons of energy and that the knife Charlie held was runed in a very specific manner, giving off an aura that caused discomfort. Regenerating wounds caused by that would prove difficult. The creation of objects like these or causing normal objects to have similar properties— those were the sorts of works usually done by angels or related beings. A demon with 'angelic weaponry' is quite strange. Surely, it is obvious why that is so confounding.

"I've never heard of that in my entire life."

"It isn't very common."

"Obviously." Charlie played around with the knife in his hands. "It sounds very convenient. There must be a reason it's so uncommon. How is it carried out?"

"The process is actually very simple."

"Oh?"

"A vault is first filled with water, soil, or another substance from the place of 'awakening''. 'Partum ducit ad vitam sustenare. Somnum facit maius imperium' is then chanted, and the demon stays unconscious in the vault for approximately three weeks. This process is rarely carried out because of the 'negative effects' and because-"

"And because very few demons are able to recall where it all began for them." Charlie interrupted Sebastian to complete the sentence. "You sound like a cookbook guide. Is blueberry hair over there your familiar or something?"

"Or something."

"Interesting. Doesn't he speak?"

"Untie me." Ciel was irritated and just plain sick of the current scenario. More than that, to say that he was just a bit confused would be the understatement of the century!

"I guess he does. You're pretty demanding, aren't you, shortie? I think I'll wait. I have a few more questions."

Ciel groaned. He had no clue where he wanted to go, but believed he would be content with being anywhere so long as it was not the residence of the demon called 'Charlie'.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm soooooooooo sorry! I just got sick and didn't want to do anything. I'm still sick, but I felt terrible about not writing this so, here I am. Also, officially hooked on Mystic Messenger… That's not relevant to anything. What is sort of relevant, however, is that the reason I referred to Sebastian's hunger as 'extraordinary' is because you hardly find demons that go hungry for over a certain amount of time, about a century. More than one hundred years have passed, and Sebastian has done nothing to get rid of it. Strange, don't you think? I'mma answer the next review. I think I'll be doing that, responding to reviews when I get them.

* * *

 **Reviews/Answers**

Guest: acpendra: Its good but I'm kinda uneasy about your decision to give Alois, Luka and Ciel extra powers on top of being demons especially with Luka having a natural talent for magic. You need to be careful about making them too overpowered that can drag a story down, but other than that it seems pretty smooth, the pacing is nice, the plot is interesting. The interactions between Luka and Alois are cute and it's nice to see happy Alois for once.

Thank you! Not just for the compliments, but for the criticism. It's good to know that my writing is actually pretty decent and enjoyable, but I just want to comment that I _really needed_ that that statement about being overpowered. The amulets were kind of there for the plot, but there was something that I still didn't figure out yet. That was it. The idea of it gives too much power, so there has to be something to even the odds out— something to give balance. Consequences. Or rather, conditions. Just reading your review gave me inspiration, and you didn't even mean to do that! Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and paying attention enough to notice things about it that seem off, and especially for being brave enough to comment on it. It takes courage to review on anything, from my experience. Thank you, once again. :)


	7. To Wear Or Not To Wear

"Shouldn't we wear them?" Luka asked.

"She said to keep them, not wear them."

The topic of conversation was, of course, the trio of Siren's Amulets. They were in the form of necklaces and it goes without saying that Luka was more than just a tad confused as to why three of them were in his brother's hands, rather than one with the other two around their necks.

"But they're necklaces." Despite the lack of articulation, Alois understood clearly what the brunette meant.

"Okay, but I'm going to try it first. Don't put any of them on until we know for sure that they're safe."

It might seem silly to most, for one to worry about whether or not it's safe to wear a piece of jewellery, but the precaution was necessary, especially pertaining to this case. The items contained the very souls of 'corrupted demons' who happen to possess strength and abilities almost unimaginable. It was only natural for the blond to be wary. His brother made a very sensible point, however, so he would take the risk. Of course, he would only risk himself; to be frank, he would much rather rot and burn, suffering an eternity in hell than let his brother be harmed.

The article was large, so he simply placed it over his head, having left the other two on a table some distance away. The necklace began to coil itself around Alois' neck as though it was a snake trying to squeeze all traces of life from its prey. Suddenly, it began to jerk about wildly, rapidly tightening to the point of almost choking the young demon.

"Jim!" Luka cried, concerned.

The blond tugged at the necklace, pulling it off as it loosened itself automatically with the action. It seemed as though the sister inside did not want her necklace worn.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Luka. I guess we just shouldn't wear them."

That was what was said, but the brunette had other thoughts. There were people in the necklaces, right? What if they were picky? What if, in a sense, they were to choose who would be able to keep the necklace on? Ignoring the one his brother just tried, Luka picked up a piece that seemed almost white and quickly slipped it on.

"Luka! What are you doing?" Alois widened his eyes and began running towards his brother.

"It's fine, look!" Alois stopped to see what the brunette was pointing at. There was hardly any part of the necklace left visible, save for the jewel embedded into his brother's skin. Everything else coiled itself around it from under his skin, creating an intricate pattern that cannot be described.

"Didn't that hurt?"

"No, it only tickled. I think they're just picky."

"Who?"

"The Sirens."

Alois blinked. He hadn't thought of that. It did make sense, however. With power that at one point could gradually disrupt the entire earth, it was reasonable to be a bit particular about who could utilize it. Still, that was a reckless move. Then again, the brunette was practically raised by his brother. He had to develop that trait somewhere.

"Hey, Luka."

"Yeah?"

"Know what else tickles?"

"No…" Luka trailed off, before he came to a very sudden realisation. "No!"

And so the demon dash begins. Again.


	8. Hallucinations

"Sebastian, do you even know where we are?"

"Yes, we are in the City Sine Lumine, my lord."

Ciel added nothing to that statement. While it was true, the fact remained that it was the most obvious thing that could have been given as a response. Ciel had been made aware that 'The City', like the 'copycat realm', was surrounded by protective barriers. According to memory, though he would remain unharmed, he would feel the energy as he passed through. In addition, 'The City' was an island. He didn't seem to be in any water. That, and no one would be so blatant about not being human on the outside. Ciel was certain that he saw a winged woman with nothing below her torso on what seemed to him like an aimless journey.

"Sebastian, how long has it been since you last consumed a soul? I'm curious." The butler's behavior had been quite strange, as of late. It proved problematic, and maybe this was to blame. Moreover, the boy was worried. Not that he would openly admit to this fact. Old habits die hard, after all.

"I believe it has been approximately two centuries, if I recall."

"Are you punishing yourself for something or do you just find pain pleasurable?" The words were uttered by a blond demon with blue eyes.

Ciel blinked.

"Sebastian, that ritual you did, can it cause demons to hallucinate?"

"I'm not a hallucination, Phantomhive!" Alois interjected before the butler could respond. "I'm inviting you inside."

Ciel looked at the raven-haired demon as if to silently ask whether or not this was real, or if he was losing whatever sanity he had preserved over the past 'few' years.

"It is rather rude to ignore the offer of your close acquaintance, young master."

Ciel was completely and utterly discombobulated. Maybe they were both going crazy. Then again, that was all the whole world seemed to be; maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised.

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A/N: This chapter is so short… It was the hardest one to write. Kind of because it broke the flow of alternation, I guess. It took me multiple days (chapter seven had been written previously, just not posted). I hope you guys enjoy reading this book as much as I do writing it— maybe even more. Merry Christmas, even though it's late. Have a nice day!


	9. So Crazy That It Must Be True

"What you are trying to tell me is that you just woke up on the Island of Death as demons in Hannah's body, which Alois could control." Ciel somehow didn't seem as baffled saying this. It did sound a bit far-fetched, yes, but what else was there to believe?

"Yes." The blond and brunette said in almost perfect unison. How _cute_.

"And she supposedly left you letters which also explained how to regain your own physical bodies."

"Not quite. More like, transferring our souls to new ones. We don't know where they came from; they were already here, so don't ask." The blond was not irritated. He only answered a predictable question with a statement that clearly said "I don't know". The bodies were most likely Hannah's doing, but that was never explicitly stated therefore he would not repeat.

"Okay."

"You believe us?" Considering how skeptical the bluenette seemed when he first entered, wondering how any of this was possible, the youngest of the demons in the vicinity was right to be surprised at this development.

"There's no reason not to. As I recall, Luka's soul still existed at the time and Alois' has been in multiple different places."

"Oh, right." The blond had to admit that not all of those places were very pleasant. It's not every day you get your soul trapped in a ring, after all. He had nothing against Ciel— not anymore, at least— but being in someone else's skin was not that great of an experience.

"Sebastian, what say you?"

"It definitely seems plausible, though, I have never heard of one changing the essence of three different souls successfully in such a short timeframe." Sebastian's voice was nowhere near as smooth as it usually was. As a matter of fact, he looked tired. _Very tired._ Simply looking at the butler's face caused Ciel to be riddled with worry.

"Sebastian, you look sick."

"I'm alright, young-" Ciel would have none of it. The ravenette was choking on those words.

"Sebastian, this is an order. Go and consume a soul." Though he never admit it out loud, he did care for the older demon, somewhat. It was strange, seeing as though he didn't seem to have much concept of human emotions, unlike the bluenette whose understanding and acceptance of it was very low for a human. When it came to work, he could manipulate them easily; concerning himself and those close to him, however, he was at a complete loss. "I'll be fine for the next five years. You, however, need to 'sustain yourself'."

"Yes, my lord." The ravenette bowed and took his leave.

"That was rather nice of you, Phantomhive." Alois was a bit better at reading into this sort of thing, though, he was no expert himself.

"He was getting sloppy. It was annoying." Covering his tracks— or attempting to, at the very least.

"Right. Perfect excuse. Though, I don't see why it needs defending."

"Whatever."

The room was silent; awkwardness loomed over everyone. Then again, the blond and bluenette had one tried to kill each other; Luka was only familiar with his brother. No one knew how to interact in the rather strange group.

Luka left the room and returned with a single amulet, bearing a green jewel.

"Here," he said, handing the necklace to the Phantomhive.

Ciel gave the brothers a questioning look.

"There is a reason that I invited you here, Phantomhive."

Ciel was thoroughly confused. It seems that this would be happening very often. Then again, he did stay in a copy of the Phantomhive Manor in a sealed off 'realm' for over a century.

Alois tugged at the collar of the shirt he was wearing to show a blue jewel in his skin, along with the surrounding pattern.

"What you have in your hands is one of the Amulets of the Sirens. Luka and I have the other two. I'm giving you this one."

"Why?"

"Hannah asked."

"Okay then…"

Ciel slipped it over his head. This was a mistake. Like what happened with Alois, the necklace tightened as it coiled around Ciel's neck.

"What the hell?"

"No, no, no!" Alois shouted as he pulled it from around the bluenette's neck. At one point, he did hate the Phantomhive, yes. At the moment, however, the blond was indifferent to his presence, and would not just let him die for no reason. Sue him for kindness, if you'd like. Maybe then he would realise how much of it is actually there, as he doesn't see the trait himself.

"Sorry. I guess this one just shouldn't be worn. The same thing happened to me when I tried it. You should probably just keep it with you rather than on you."

"Is this supposed to kill me?"

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

"You've died before."

Alois rolled his eyes. Somehow, the disdain between him and the Phantomhive seemed far away— like ancient history. It almost was.

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A/N: Happy New Year's Day! At least I'm sort of on time for this event. This chapter was hard work; and _damn_ did I enjoy it! Sincerely hope you do too, btw. I laughed writing this, did anyone else find this amusing in the slightest? Maybe. That'd be nice.

Bye!


	10. Slenderman Is A Girl

Ciel looked around to see a strange looking plant which was somewhat like a tree, of sorts; the bluenette didn't know how it was that he even identified it as vegetation, taking into consideration its constant morphing state and odd purple-like colour.

"You don't seem to be staying anywhere here or you would be at least a bit less lost. You can just stay here for now, if you'd like. We don't use half of the space this place takes up!"

That was what the blond had said. The fact remained, however, that neither Ciel nor Alois knew how to behave around the other and Sebastian's facade was slipping— even if it was only by slight changes in expression. The Phantomhive was uncomfortable in the situation and decided that he would go and 'explore the City'.

He was light on the pavement— which he did not see the need of— and he felt as though he could easily jump into the air, staying there for an indefinite amount of time and defying the laws of gravity. Not that he would try. The buildings were of all different types and timelines; the only thing consistent was the lack of consistency. Some gave off a strange aura that would normally be ominous had he not gotten used to them. There were smaller and weaker, yet, effective barriers around some structures. That was very wise, he had to admit.

Ciel froze in place. He had just bumped into something, and the only way he would have been able describe it as was 'strange'. He wasn't in any pain, but he did feel the sensation of a body come and go and was absolutely certain that something velvety had brushed against him in the process.

"I'm sorry!" There was a girl with shoulder length brown hair in a rather awkward position the ground.

"Not at all, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." The bluenette helped her up, noticing that she had black tentacles protruding from her back. Well, now he knew what had felt so smooth and slick. "I am known as Ciel Phantomhive. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." 'Earl', 'The Queen's Guard Dog', 'The Evil Nobleman'— he dropped all those titles. They didn't really serve much purpose anymore, now did they? All he was now was 'Ciel Phantomhive'. What he needed next would be to figure out who exactly that was. For now, however, his focus remained on the girl who was so frustratingly tall he needed to look upwards to see her face.

"It's fine. My name is Maia Collins, and the pleasure's all mine." Despite his qualms about them, the bluenette was lucky to have his demonic abilities. He doubted he would be able to hear Maia otherwise, considering how soft-spoken she was. "You aren't from around here, are you?"

"I really do make it obvious, don't I?"

"It's fine, it's fine! It's not every day that you come across a newcomer to the City. And one so nice, no less!"

Nice. It wasn't very often that the Phantomhive was referred to as such. The only thing constant in life is change however, and he had an eternity to experience that.

"You're a demon, aren't you?"

"So it seems. If you don't mind me asking though, what exactly are you?"

"I'm a tenuicor."

A… what? The bluenette had never even _heard_ of such a thing in all his life.

"Oh, yeah, you're new. You were human before, right?"

'Yes," he replied without skipping a beat. If he couldn't deny his loss, then he would at the very least take pride in what he was born as from birth.

"Have you ever heard of 'Slenderman'?"

"Who?" Now he was confused.

"Apparently not. Tenuicors are a race of supernatural beings that are generally tall, proficient in sensing other beings and are able to shapeshift."

"Oh. Do they all possess tentacles as well?" Ciel was somewhat nervous about asking that question, though he had no clue as to 'why'.

"Most do."

"Okay..."

"I've no plans to go home for quite a while. I could show you around if you'd like?"

Such was the start of a budding friendship and the beginning of a new life.

* * *

A/N: Here we go! Yes, I invented a race of slendermen(and women). It wasn't random though and '"tenuicor' is a combination of the latin words "tenui" and "corpore" meaning "thin" and "body" respectively, that is to say "thin body" or "slender body". Tenuicors are usually very slender. (No shit, sherlock.) I don't think I'll go in to depth about it right now. My A/Ns are usually too long as it is. Chao!


	11. Black Water

Why was it pink? Standing before the brunette was a rather peculiar animal. It possessed a circular body with a hole near the top of it and three stick-like legs. From atop its body protruded two rabbit-like ears, which strangely had no hair save for at the tip, and were fat. On both sides of each ear, were eyes in the centre, giving a total of four optical sensory organs. It didn't seem to have a mouth, unless that proved to be the line near to the base of its… face? Body? The young demon couldn't tell. He, however, came to another decision.

"I'm going to catch it!"

The creature gave a big smile, its mouth stretching from what had previously seemed like merely a curved line into a semi-circle, revealing a set of razor sharp teeth as it ran off, as though it understood his words and wished to escape.

The sky somehow appeared to be a pastel yellow and the sun seemed as though it was red as its rays shone down on a child of demonic nature chasing a pink triped through the City. Majority of its citizens saw no need for worry. Most children, whether they are human or not need time to be silly and play. Only a few with strong clairvoyance considered the possibility of danger, which they placed at the back of their minds as it seemed highly unlikely. They were cautious, but the situation was left otherwise ignored.

Under a stream of black liquid shone a bright pink light. The brunette stood in one place, staring at it, but then jumped into the stream after the luminescent amphibian moved farther away. Soon, it stopped, opting simply to look up at Luka, who hovered in the same spot and had no difficulties in breathing. The boy took the animal into his hands and examined it.

"Ow!" The brunette dropped the creature, startled and in pain from its bite. Crimson droplets fell surprisingly conspicuously in the dark water. The creature began to stretch in length, thinning and bending even its bones as it expelled a green liquid from its now visible pores. It wrapped around the young demon, not in a manner that seemed to have the intent of harm, rather, it was like an embrace as the Macken sank, falling to the land below the stream.

* * *

A/N: Short, so damn short. This too forever ohmahgawd. Sorry. Not only is school being a bitch and hardly giving me free time, but writing chapters centred completely around Luka is hard as fuck. I got stuck and hit a wall so many times that I can't even. Hope y'all still enjoyed this for the most part though, even if Luka has now been bitten by a possibly dangerous supernatural creature and has sunk to the bottom to a stream with black water. Dead. Not Luka! Me! You know the term, where you're just like, I'm dead? Course you do. I have no clue what I'm typing. I'll leave it at this. Bye!


	12. Man Of Steel

Strangely enough, that proved enjoyable. The bluenette was unsure as to whether he would meet Maia again, but she was rather interesting. That, at the very least, he had no trouble admitting. It was much better than spending almost one hundred and twenty five years in a sealed off part of the Earth. It was now the third of August in the year of 2014, according to the brown-haired tenuicor. It was hard to believe. Did he really spend all of that time in the same place, doing the same things over and over and over and over again? It was no wonder he had felt so empty, hardly noticing the days that went by. He had been bored. He hadn't realized it at the time, but he had been sick of the repetition and was only rooted there by fear.

What would have happened had he stayed? If somehow, the circumstances didn't cause him to be forced here, into the 'City Sine Lumine', as they called it, what would have happened? Would he continue in that loop for an eternity? Would he have become bored to the point that he would let himself become nothing but a monstrosity, endlessly attempting to fill the void in his soul to no fruition? He couldn't imagine it. He wouldn't imagine it. He didn't want to.

Even if he would refuse to say it, the exchanges that he had with people as of recent brought him delight. This even applied to the unpleasant ones like that of the demon Charlie, or strange ones like when he stumbled upon Alois. When had he last allowed himself to enjoy interaction with others? Even as a human, he locked that all away behind iron bars, rarely ever willingly letting anything but hate escape. To this point, the barriers are still there, though, they are now gradually rusting and chipping away.

"Ah!"

Ciel fell back as he collided with something that felt like bricks coated in steel. Well, not exactly something. More like, someone.

"You really ought to pay more attention to where you are going, young master." Sebastian cocked his head to the side, flashing a smile. 'That damn mocking grin,' as 'the young master' would say.

"And yet, I received no warning. I was just left to bump into some sort of metallic man."

"I do not claim to be made of metal, though I am quite sturdy. I was simply focused on a task. In staying alive without consuming souls, you have become more human-like." He held up some rather strange bags that seemed to be made of plastic. "The supply of human food was—"

Sebastian didn't complete his statement as he was interrupted by Ciel's sudden cry of pain.

"Young master, are you alright?"

Ciel said nothing in response and was frozen in position. What he had just experienced felt as though it pierced through his very soul. All he could see was Alois' brother, Luka, falling into a black abyss, his voice conveying only two words:

"Help me."

* * *

A/N: Oh my gosh, yes! This chapter was so much easier to write than the one before. "Simply focused on a task." Hah. You _let_ Ciel bump into you Sebastian. We all know it.


	13. Familiar Guilt And Tired Tentacles

Alois crouched beside the bed that held his brother's unmoving figure. The blond was ridden with guilt. He had been in the library of the house, where there were books that presented content like very realistic plays, and didn't even notice when Luka had slipped away. What kind of brother couldn't protect his brother from harm? The reality of the situation was that he couldn't have stopped what had happened. The only way to do so would be to lock his brother inside like a prisoner, and he would never dare to try. No one is ever happy without freedom. He liked having his own, so he wouldn't take someone else's unless necessary, and with his brother, he couldn't even if he needed to. That was the truth, but that didn't change how he felt.

What was really strange was the fact that Ciel had seen the exact same image that he did. Luka, sinking in a pool of black, with a pink luminescent creature latched onto him. There was an explanation given, however, and it made things much more comprehensible.

Ciel, Alois and Luka all became demons through Hannah. As such, they were her familiars. While familiars were usually under no obligation to be subservient, it was typical to do so due to the link between them and their counterpart. Multiple familiars of one demon are not always linked to each other, as a demon's essence changes gradually over time. Because this particular three were turned within the same timeframe, however, they received extremely similar bits of Hannah's essence, causing their souls to have a certain link. Breaking this bond would first and foremost require for the demoness to be dead, so this hinted at the great possibility of her being alive.

Ciel stood in a corner of the same room, his face sheathed in its usual mask of indifference— if a scowl indicates indifference, that is. Ciel wasn't quite sure he would call this current prominent emotion 'worry', but he didn't exactly want the brunette to die. Even as a human, when he was ruthless in his pursuit for revenge, he did his best to keep innocent, uninvolved citizens exactly the way they were: innocent, uninvolved _and alive_. They deserved their lives, unlike he who was so keen on throwing away and gambling the uncertain. Although according to the memories Alois possessed, which he had to sort through during a previous session of possession, Luka had also formed a contract with a demon, the fact remained that the reasoning behind it was much different than his own. The bluenette had sold himself to a demon for nothing more than revenge, and nothing less. It wouldn't bring his parents back, it wouldn't help anyone in any way— if anything it caused harm. It was nothing more than fulfilling a selfish desire when he felt like he had nothing left.

This young child was different, however. His one and only wish was made for someone else. He had the intent of securing his brother's happiness. That was why he had selflessly sacrificed his soul. Many of even the noblest persons would find themselves unable to do such a thing. It was a feat even Ciel Phantomhive himself silently respected as he could never imagine himself being able to do that, not even if he grew up as the person he once was.

Sebastian had gone to assemble a supposed 'cure'. A 'lurana' had tried to bond with Luka, but the attempt was failed due to Luka's state of living as a demon without consuming souls. It meant he still was not a fully-fledged supernatural being. With that, what would have normally had no effect at the least, or have been beneficial at the most, ended up bringing harm. It would appear that this is one of the 'disadvantages' of human-like life by way of demonic ritual.

The sun shone in a manner as if to mock the current situation, and to this day the bluenette had no clue as to why it appeared red. There was someone else who knew, however, and she basked in the rays that had their appearances distorted by the magic of the City's barriers. Standing upright, she stretched a single tentacle towards the nearest tree, while simultaneously changing her head through abilities in attempts to appear faceless. That was the sort of thing children did in games; certainly, by this age she should be able to pull it off. She likely would never be as strong as the other tenuicors, as it was far too late for her to simply be a 'late bloomer'. She would soon come of age! But, at the very least, she would try to better herself so that she would be able to do something useful on her own.

She didn't have enough stamina left from the day. Her tentacles dropped and shortened, seeping back inside her body as they flashed about. Her clothes morphed, replacing all the holes that were there to accommodate them.

"Maia, what happened to you?" A tenuicor with medium-length dirty blonde hair came into view. Their face showed their evident concern.

Maia's shapeshifting had only finished halfway. Lips had disappeared while teeth still showed; one eye remained and was only partially there as pulsing veins were visible. Both lids remained and her nose contorted in a way that was indescribable.

"Nothing, Kadin. I was just… trying something new."

"I see that. You need to rest. Shapeshifting and flexing your tentacles for hours won't help you. That will only harm you. Ease into it gradually."

"How did you even—"

"Avery told me."

"That elf is just everywhere, isn't she? Well, I guess that's how I know she cares."

A pink lurana jumped and morphed as it played in the grass.

"That's so cute." Maia took it into her hands. "Even you're better at this than I am, aren't you, little fellow?" The lurana curved its ears to look like parallel question marks. One would be very curious as to how the creature even processed images. It bit the tenuicor and ran away.

"It already has an owner," Kadin informed the brunette so that she wouldn't feel bad about not being compatible.

"Not as if I could sense that." Considering the girl's somewhat playful tone, the strategy half worked.

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes Slenderman healthy, wealthy and wise."

"You rip-off. I have a gender, by the way. Male isn't it. That, and I'm not as obvious as Slendy."

"Espionage expert?"

"More like invisible nestling."

"All nestlings grow, Maia. Come on, let's go get something to eat; your glamour already wore off."

"You sure know how to cheer a girl up, don't you, Kadin?"

"'Tis my specialty, milady. Boys don't know shit!"

Maia laughed at the unlikely phrase combination, prompting Kadin to chuckle as well.

"Alright, let's go Kadin. You too Avery, I know you're there! You, at the very least, I can sense!"

* * *

A/N: Heya! I enjoyed this, did you enjoy this? I just wanted to say a few things, like, Kadin is a genderless tenuicor. Like, they possess no gender. They can shapeshift to appear as other genders though. Among tenuicors, only the genderless ones can do that. Also, OCs in chapters is kind of new for me, and I sincerely hope I'm doing it right. At the very least, I know that they're not Mary-Sues, so there's that. Over 1,000 words in chapter content alone... That's no big deal to most people, but it feels great to me! Took a while though. Hope y'all have a nice day/night (whatever it is wherever you are lol.) Bye!


	14. Just Feeling

It hurt to watch as symbols were carved into his brother's skin. Alois had no desire to see such a thing transpire— he hadn't wanted it to happen at all! However, it was necessary and he refused to be a certain distance away from his brother. There were other methods that could be used, but most of them would undo the effects of the sustenance ritual that had been carried out from very early on by Hannah's instruction. Left alone, Luka would heal at only a slightly faster rate than that of a human and while that would normally cause few problems, lurana poisoning is lethal to humans. On the upside, however, even though Luka didn't consume souls, it wouldn't kill him. The problem with that was that if the body was placed under excessive stress, it could force one to enter their 'true form' which takes a lot of energy. So much so, that afterwards there is no other choice than to consume a human soul to replenish it. Alois didn't want his brother to have to do something like that quite yet.

This method was better, but that didn't mean it was considered particularly good. The process meant that Luka would recover at a faster rate than usual, but it would still take time and the brunette would still be unconscious for half of it. Furthermore, the scars from the carvings would remain as they would take an even longer time to heal.

Alois paced back and forth through the room and hall in an endless cycle. It would do nothing, and there was no point to it, but he did it anyways. He wasn't thinking of anything good, nor was he thinking of anything bad. He simply wasn't thinking. He was only feeling, and aside from that, his mind was blank. Worry, restlessness and an unidentifiable conglomerate of others prompted him to attempt ridding himself of negative emotions through exercise. It didn't work. Soon, his stamina ran out and he slumped into a heap in the passageway.

As his breathing began to steady, he pondered on where exactly it was that Ciel had gone. The bluenette left the house often, though, he couldn't really blame him. Undeniably, now, there was definitely a part of the blond that wished to put the past behind him and befriend— or at the very least ally himself with— the Phantomhive. The real question was whether or not he actually could.

* * *

A/N: So fucking short ohmagawww. It looked so much longer in my word document. Well, that's that. Where is Ciel, though? Guess we'll find out. Whoop! Bye-a!(rhymes with hiya. Just so you know.)


	15. Compulsion

Ciel didn't know where he was. Though he had made a habit of exploring the City Sine Lumine, he had never come across a path such as this. It was deserted and possibly dangerous but he felt drawn in its direction. It was as though he was being called out to, and his feet felt compelled to move forward. It seemed as though magical barriers were not meant to keep out weather conditions such as rain, as the bluenette was now soaked from head to toe and his drenched clothes stuck uncomfortably to his skin. It was for the best that he was no longer ailed by his asthma despite becoming more human-like physically, as he would likely have attempted to carry on despite it, which would definitely not have bode well for him.

He trudged onward, slipping on many occasions, yet miraculously not falling on any of them. He suddenly felt himself walking through energy that shook his very core. He fell forwards and spared a bit of his face using his hands as a shield, however, his head throbbed and his matted hair was covered in dirt. It was disgraceful, and it was apparent that the bluenette would not be getting used to walking through protective walls any time soon. Well, there went that so-called 'miracle'.

He stood up, making an attempt to fix the disheveled and soiled condition of his garments. It was not to be, as the damage was done and furthermore, the Phantomhive was useless in those sorts of tasks.

Seemingly, the barrier Ciel passed through also distorted images, as everything in front of him now had long since been dead and left to rot. The sensible thing to do, would be to leave and return with others or not to return at all; but this meant taking the risk that the barrier wouldn't allow him to pass again or that he wouldn't even be able to find the area a second time. He was curious, like the person he was, drawn to strange situations. His senses nagged at him to turn back, there was a feeling of foreboding destruction, but the bluenette continued with the logic that there was nothing to destroy. There was, however, something of interest in that forest and he would most definitely find out what it was.

* * *

A/N: Omg so fucking short again! I need to update more often. Imma start trying(no promises, tho). Hopefully school will be less of a bitch to me lol. Hope y'all enjoyed this short li'l chappie (in a sense) and, well, see you next time!(Unless I die before my next update. Hopefully that would be at dusk and not at dawn. That was terrible, I know.) Bye-a!


	16. Underground

The bluenette walked gingerly, conscious of every single step he took and of any decayed remains that were squashed below his feet. He wondered if this was completely useless, and if there would be nothing in the rotted ruins, but something unidentifiable urged otherwise, so he continued on. Ciel felt a tingling sensation radiate through his entire body, and it became even more intense with every forward motion he made. Soon, all he could do was curl into a ball and shiver as the ground below his broke apart and fell inwards, bringing him with it as everything faded to black.

A grotesque figure loomed over the Phantomhive, somehow causing the spot he lay on the become sharp as knives, then being once again flat over and over in quick succession. This creature which appeared to be female already had a purpose and would not let it go. That wasn't enough even to wake him up, and all she had to use was the forest above, and the forest below. Even more so, she was unable to go anywhere beyond the barriers, or that wasn't underground.

It was a cruel fate, to be trapped underground for centuries, unable to see the sun, the moon, the stars or even people. Even if she split the entire earth between the borders, it would last only for a short while, and the walls of magic above her changed the view of anything. She didn't know when she had last seen any sort of being that wasn't herself, but then stumbled in a familiar. It had to be, being so weak and yet being able to enter so easily.

She would gain freedom from the demoness who so coldly brought about this enchantment, and she would use one of her own nestlings to do so. No matter what it took, she would be free. She would crawl out of this place even if her hair had to serve as rope, her feet as swords and her teeth as knives. Even if it would only be for a few seconds, she would be sure to make it out of this cage of wilted trees alive.

* * *

A/N: Heya! Pfft, still have shit to do for school, but I felt like writing fanfic. Honestly, this chapter aint all that, but hey, my writing aint all that anyways. I'm an amateur, having fun writing while readers are having fun reading. That's good enough for now, aint it? It is, it is. Hope y'all be doing well.

Bye-a!


	17. Liberation

Ciel forced his eyes open; his head pounded as though it were about to explode and the time he spent unconscious did nothing in terms of rest— he was more tired and in pain than before. He scanned the area, or at least tried to as there was either very little or no light filtering through the dirt that somehow all stuck above him, and seeing in pitch darkness was not within his capabilities.

"Greetings. I would do this properly, but it is not as though I am aware of the time."

Ciel tried to move in the opposite direction of the voice, but his back hit a wall of dirt that seemed adamant on staying as compact and steady as steel.

"No running away, now." The raspy voice was distinguishable as female, and it was the type that would usually compel one to trust them, however, it would be quite unwise to trust your captor.

The dirt crashed down again, this time on top the bluenette rather than underneath. A rotted branch restored itself and warped from above, breaking from the tree and thinning in order to stretch and wrap around his neck.

"When you locate the Meadow Maiden, I need you to call out to her— let her also find you. I am certain you would like to live, would you not? You would die otherwise."

The Phantomhive had absolutely no clue as to what that meant. Who was this 'Meadow Maiden'? Why would he locate her and even more so, _how_ would he even be able to do so?

"You know her differently, do you not? How silly of me, time has passed. The one who turned you into what you are now, dearest. I recall her hair of lavender and sinister eyes. The truest form of a demon does not often change."

"Hannah," the bluenette muttered to himself. He didn't know about her eyes being sinister, but it wasn't as though he paid that much attention to them. 'The one who turned him'. That was very specific. But how could this person possibly know…

Ciel coughed and struggled to regain and release air in his body as the branch coiled around his neck constricted his breathing. There was one additional part that lodged itself inside is mouth, and would not move. The time spent explaining was used as a distraction. Really, that was the oldest trick in the book and it was irksome to know he had fallen for it. Then again, past experiences were gradually fading away.

"Hannah, you say. Is that her new alias? I wonder, have you found yourself in the form that lies deep within? It is quite liberating, as I recall. Yet it was stripped away from me."

Now an entire tree fell atop the bluenette, heavily pressing against him and rendering his attempts to move completely useless; he was severely weakened.

"All for the sake of a single blood pact— are they really that sacred if the other party can simply opt out?"

It was as though the entire forest above was shaking and ready to shatter. If that were to happen, there was no possible way he could manage the physical stress.

"I committed no wrong! All I did was fall in love! Yet, my beloved was killed before my eyes, and I was stripped of my beauty and imprisoned beneath the earth! The cruelty of the demoness is quite cold." The last sentence was uttered almost jokingly, as though the entire prospect was amusing.

The earth inside the barriers shattered, giving way to all that was to fall upon those below.

"My, my, how unbecoming of me to trouble a young lad with such trifles! We won't be much longer, dearest."

A diabolical feeling welled inside the bluenette. He writhed and groaned beneath the plantae, somehow knocking them all to one side. His flesh bubbled and boiled as though he was dying and coming back to life over and over in quick succession. He felt chilled right to the core, the extreme cold made him shiver, yet he was caused to sweat by unbearable heat. The hand that he could see stretched before him indicated that his skin settled, but that meant nothing if it was covered in flames of black and had been shedding. The pain was intense, and he felt as though he had reached his limit, but then it all stopped.

Bruises and cuts sealed themselves shut, though, he was indifferent to the sensation due to the previous experience. His head felt like it carried extra weight, and he dared not look behind his back.

"Very good, though you may just be even younger than expected. Won't you call out to her?"

The bluenette would do no such thing. What made this woman think that after all this, he would adhere to her wishes?

She stepped towards him but he didn't move— the path was so narrow that he had nowhere to go.

"Won't you call out to her?" She moved to attack, but the bluenette found that his speed was somehow enhanced, as he quickly caught her had out of mere reflex. It seemed the same was done with strength, as his grip was strong and held fast. Whatever this was may just have given him an advantage. Ciel had hardly fought in his entire life, yet somehow a single punch sent this strange woman sprawling. He could see clearly now, which he attributed to the strange feeling in his eyes.

It didn't last, however, and the Phantomhive felt himself growing faint. In all this, his eyepatch which he wore out of habit had been done away with, and something occurred to him that he kicked himself for not noticing before. He called for not Hannah Anafellows but his butler, Sebastian Michaelis. As he fell to the ground, he noticed something. His clothing had changed, and was now a blue suit with ruffles and many frills, the type of attire once his cousin would have gladly had him dress in.

He looked ridiculous.

* * *

A/N: Whoo! Hiya! I enjoyed this one. It was probably a bit confusing though. Maybe I should explain this shit at some point? By the way, the woman's name is Ajlal. She's a huldra. I never stated that, did I? I have like, a whole story 'bout her and Hannah and Efraim but I can't put it in the fic, ugh. I could probably explain it somewhere if for some reason anyone was interested, but it probably wouldn't fit in the author's notes. Dunno what to do 'bout that. Y'know, I have some kind of educational tour or whatever for school like, tomorrow. And I'm 0% prepared. Yet I sit down for I don't even know how long writing fanfic instead of trying to get my shit together omg. I regret nothing.

Wait a minute, if that tour is tomorrow, don't I have some powerpoint presentation that I need to get to some of my classmates like, today?

Shit.

Bye-a, my darlings and I'll see ya 'round next chapter!


	18. Rite Of Passage

"This journey was never meant for those who live, Maiden," stated a woman with hair that was a mixture of white and black strands flowing behind her.

"Then there should be no problem; I am dead already, Valkyrie."

Red eyes stared into multicoloured ones defiantly. Wings of black protruding from Hannah's back seemed to be broken in some places and stretched thin in others. Her skin continuously stripped away and her body was surrounded by a shadowy dark mass.

"No, you aren't dead, Maiden. But you were." Valkyrie smirked, her dress of sleek shining silver somehow remaining unmoving despite her bodily shifts. "Just what is it that makes a demoness great as you so adamant on treading the path of the fallen?"

The glow in Hannah's eyes began to flicker. "That which once anchored me has been set free. I must be stabilized, lest I destroy what has already been established."

" _Them._ I see. I don't know what you're planning— I never know what you're planning— but there is no reason to deny you." Valkyrie stepped aside and what had previously seemed to lead to an endless void behind her became an unbearable light. "Enter."

Ciel sat up to find himself coated in sweat. He was still attired the way he had been previously, but now he took note of things he hadn't noticed before, such as the fact that his eyepatch restored itself and that he had grown a tail.

Wait, what?

How stereotypical. It was black and had a sharp edge, but only reached as far as his knee. He reached up to touch the protrusions atop his head and oddly enough, they felt like horns. He looked like a demonic child which, really, wasn't too far from the truth.

"I see you have awoken, young master." For a moment Sebastian looked grave, almost as though he had lost purpose, but when Ciel blinked the butler seemed his usual self. Maybe his strange dream was still affected him; it was extremely vivid. The bluenette paid mind to none of those things, and simply stared blankly at the butler.

"On the schedule for today is returning to the 'Realm of the Humans'."

"What are you on about?"

The raven-haired man stepped to the side to reveal a large mirror then placed his master in front of it. The only thing this revealed to Ciel was that his horns were black.

"You were forced into your 'true form' by Ajlal, the huldra you encountered. You never cease to walk right into danger."

Now the butler was amused, and the bluenette confused. His head was fuzzy, his thoughts were vague and he lacked energy.

"You will return to your usual form soon, but you utilized a large amount of energy. The effects of the sustenance ritual have been undone. The food you usually eat has been rendered ineffective; it no longer aids in your survival. Do you know what this means?"

Finally, it occurred to the Phantomhive what this was. It was an eventual necessity, a rite of passage.

He would have to consume a human soul.

* * *

A/N: Heya! I don't think I was descriptive enough about Ciel's demon form, ugh. It looks somewhat similar to his costume for Halloween in chapter 120 of the manga, though. Just so you know. 'The Realm of the Humans' is used to describe anywhere outside of any barred off supernatural place. Y'know, where we humans live, yeah. It would have been explained next chapter but meh. I felt like explaining it here. Hope you enjoyed this chappie and I'll see ya around my darlings.

Bye-a!


	19. The Realm Of The Humans

London was different. Carriages were horseless and constantly whizzed by, fashion was almost unrecognizable and the lights that shone everywhere were alms blinding. Even the air itself was different, and after coming from the City Sine Lumine, the ground felt heavy. Everything was new and strange to the bluenette; it was overwhelming to the point that his head was spinning.

"The world is constantly changing, young master. This is a fact you will soon become well acquainted with."

Ciel was faint. How could anyone handle such drastic changes in the world they once knew so calmly? Was that really something he would be able to do with time? Somehow, the thought of that skill both appealed to and scared him all at once.

"Are you alright, young man?" One person asked this question. A few people gave concerned looks and carried on with some guilt, though it would quickly fade; others simply didn't care. It was uncaring and cold; it was life.

Ciel was too astounded to speak; the butler did so on his behalf. "He is simply tired, sir. There is no need to worry. The youth in the world can be quite reckless."

The man nodded and left, with slight worry that would likely disappear soon. Ciel's brain attempted to absorb everything he could sense, but it was too much and the bluenette just became somewhat numb to it for a time, though he remained lightheaded.

"Sebastian, how do find someone with which to form a contract?"

Ciel didn't know how he would do that. He only understood one side of it, and even his knowledge on that was vague. How can one create that which they do not understand? He didn't like it, but he would do it. The choice was to consume one soul every fifty to one hundred and twenty years, or to sleep for _at least_ that span of time and consume many in quick succession. Surely, the Phantomhive would choose the option that did the least damage to his conscience— and sanity. The one which seemed to be the lesser evil.

"A human being dying of starvation has a heightened sense of what can be eaten. In a similar manner, you can feel the call of a person that is desperate enough to have a demon as their ally— even if they are unaware of it. There are even some daring enough to purposefully summon one."

He would have to wait until he _felt_ it. _Wonderful._

* * *

A/N: That ending felt so awkward... I wanted to split this though. I _needed_ to split this. The compulsion to post was overwhelming. I have my ideas for what I'm doing, all I'm hoping is that I get the execution right. If I make some major mistake with this, _please_ point it out. Promise me. Make the oath. Damn, that was so fucking weird. I'm serious though. I don't want all my mistakes to cycle over and over. The first step of every scientific method is to identify the problem. I won't get anywhere without that, now will I? Anyways, my computer is lagging and this A/N is getting long so...

Bye-a!


	20. Psyche

Ciel sat anything but calmly on a wooden bench near to a place apparently called "Heather's Collectables". His right leg bounced up and down, pebbles shifting and crunching below his feet as he thought.

He had no clue what he was going to do. In essence, he was knowledgeable on the topic, but it didn't seem like enough. He knew what his words were to be like, but he didn't know what he was to say. He knew that he would touch the person to create the seal, but he didn't know what it would look like. He knew that he would sense the person and that they were likely found in places or situations that brought about stress, but he didn't know where those places were or what the sensation felt like. He knew that the contract would give him the strength and abilities necessary but he didn't know how he would use them!

He was told the basics, but then he was left alone on the premise that would be a good experience for him to figure it out on his own. How dare that butler! He was sly enough to leave before he could be given orders. Ciel could easily call him back, but he wouldn't. He saw the look in the ravenette's eyes. It was challenging. If there was anything Ciel didn't want to back out of, it was a challenge. The idea of completing it appealed to him for more reasons than his competitive nature— it was also due to his somewhat newfound demonic one. That scared him. Even so, for now, Sebastian would be considered nothing but a backup plan; he would not be summoned unless worse came to worst.

He sighed. Just the first step could take days. The idea didn't appeal to him. He would need to at least have time on his side since it was within his best interest to complete the contract within a month. He would have to cause someone's wish to come true and he didn't know how long that would take. Even if it was for his own benefit, that wasn't exactly his forte. Even more so, he knew next to nothing about the changes that took place in the last century. What if that knowledge was necessary? What if he couldn't fulfil the oath and the contract dragged on? What if he somehow lost control and caused it all to go wrong? The young demon couldn't help but worry.

All he could do was hope. Hope. Hope, of all things. Wasn't that new? When did he begin to place such value on life? On morality? Maybe he couldn't be considered completely human anymore, but he once was. Consuming souls… It didn't feel too far from cannibalism! Even if he constantly trampled on others to get what he desired, that wasn't something he ever thought he would have to resort to. Maybe as a last option. In a sense, that was what it was in this case, but it still bothered him. This newfound awareness of his conscience would be quite a bother, but how long would if last and how far would it stretch?

A/N: Heya! Oh, right. My naming of the chapters was sort of sudden, wasn't it? I decided at first that I wouldn't name them due to being terrible at naming things, but I thought about it after a while. If I never name anything, how exactly will that skill set develop? It won't unless I practise. Trial and error. Feels good to update quickly, I have to say (even if it took a lot of walking to seek inspiration and googling in order to attempt to be accurate about where it is that Ciel is sitting and trying to form words out of concepts which is what writing pretty much is). But I have to go to school on Monday... Well, we''ll see how this works. I hope y'all enjoyed this li'l chappie and I'll see ya round next time.

Bye-a!


	21. Twins of Taylor

**September 24, 2012**

 **Cheltenham, Gloucestershire**

"She's a bitch and we all know it, that Jessica," a girl with reddish-brown hair said as she walked torpidly down a marble staircase, with the words "St. Lelia's High School" on the sides.

"Well, Charlotte, the school's atmosphere is pretty heavy with energy…" The girl beside supposed 'Charlotte' bore a striking resemblance to her, with her hair flowing to her shoulders rather than in a bun like that of the former's.

"Let's not, Scarlett. God knows that her _fragile fingernails_ can't handle it."

Scarlett laughed. "I thought you were supposed to be the 'nice one' Char?"

"Ha, ha, ha. By the way, your blouse is too tight and your skirt is too high. The principal _will_ throw a fit if she sees you."

" _If_ she sees me." Scarlett smirked.

"You're loitering, Taylor!" A brunette made this comment as she rushed past them, her hair frazzled as her uniform was unkempt.

"Which one of us was she talking to, Taylor?" Charlotte asked.

"Both of us, obviously. It's not _that_ difficult to tell us apart after an entire year."

" _Scarlett Taylor_ , how very dare you ruin my joke."

"It was stupid anyways, _Charlotte Taylor."_

"Ugh!"

The pair returned home and spent their time doing homework that would be due the immediate day, sorting out important events, and for the most part they were able to avoid idle chatter until light grew dim and faded into night.

"I think I'm going to go back to Cardolan next year, Char." Scarlett fiddled with her pencil.

"But then you'll have to go to London…" Charlotte didn't want to be separated from her sister. They had their moments, such as when they were practically mortal enemies during a clique war in primary school, but they each cared for the other in abundance.

"The pressure here's a bit too much, though. It's less than three hours away; I could just go there by taxi or bus. I would still live here."

That was what Scarlett said, but they both knew it would throw their schedules off completely. Scarlett would be tired from travelling, and both would have their assignments to do. Scarlett would have to wake up earlier, meaning her twin would have to follow suit if she wished to see her sister in the morning. Scarlett may have been a witch, but magic could never solve everything, could it?

Scarlett sighed after looking at her sister's expression. "We'll work it out, Char."

* * *

A/N: No, this was not random. I think you can already guess why I've suddenly decided to flash back into the past of some OCs, whom I did not establish the existence of until just now(lol). I kinda had more to write, as obviously there has to be more to this and I _intended_ to fit it all in one chapter, but didn't have the patience and spent way too many hours of the day staring at this computer screen to research and write and shit. I'm just gonna post this and go to bed or something.

Bye-a!


	22. Symbol of the Snake

The sun had set early, today. Annually, Charlotte and Scarlett went camping, sometimes hiking as well, with a number of their friends. This time around, they had all decided that they would pair off, and naturally, the twins decided that they would be a pair. Why not?

Charlotte had been setting up the tent and other necessities, while Scarlett decided that she would gather wood to light a fire. It was 4:34. If worse came to worst, she would have to defend herself with her only slightly over average combat skills as even though she had practically every spell in her books memorized, they were far and few. She hardly even came across them; why, the first one she found was merely on accident and was how she discovered that witches existed. Her skills focused mainly on manipulating the energy in the atmosphere to create simple weather conditions such as gusts of wind. She couldn't make attacks of fire, ice or lightning. Nothing fancy.

She slipped, fumbled and tripped while going back and forth to carry the load to her campsite. She wouldn't be doing this much longer, which was good as her stamina was wearing thin. It wasn't until she found herself in an unfamiliar area that she realized how late it had become. An illumination spell was in order. That, at the very least, she could pull off, especially today. It was the 28th of November, and there would be a full moon, which affected the density of the magic in her area's atmosphere. We may never know whether it was the tide or the position of the earth in relation to its satellite that caused this change, but that was just the way the world worked.

It was a little bit before 5:20 at the time, according to Scarlett's watch. There was a cliff with a body of water below it and on its shores stood a man who seemed rather agitated. He was restless and constantly paced back and forth. That was none of her business, however, so she paid him no mind, continuing to pick up fuel and kindling, as tinder was easy to find. It was 5:21and she was ready to return.

There was a scream, a shout, a bloodcurdling cry. There was the snapping of bones in repetition and as she passed by, Scarlett couldn't help but to look. There, she saw it, in place of a man, there was a wolf. She was not surprised, and hoped that the man would be alright. After all, even if it was quick, that transformation was extremely loud and did not sound pleasurable in the slightest.

It was hard to keep balanced with all the weight that she held in her hands. The auburn-haired girl had not been looking where she was going; she tripped and fell from the cliff. She tried to hold to its edge, but her grip was not firm enough and slipped.

The ground was much closer that she initially made it out to be, which contributed to her survival, but she was by no means unharmed. Blood flowed and dripped from the side of her head which throbbed with agonizing pain— all the other cuts and bruises were like mosquito bites in comparison.

The werewolf seemed like a giant now, with the small amount of distance and there was a symbol of a snake carved into its back. Despite her hopes, she was not helped. Rather, she was dragged by teeth and kicked into water, where salt now burned her wounds. Scarlett decided that she would not die there, and tried to swim her way up. She was failing, and failing miserably.

Somehow, while the lycanthrope had gone, Charlotte had appeared. It was as though she sensed the danger her sister was in and couldn't help but run to her aid. She helped Scarlett to dry land, but there was a problem. She wasn't very good at first-aid, and knew nothing of whether or not anything around her could be of use.

"Give me your hands," Scarlett said.

Her twin did as told. It was a gamble, really, as the witch had done nothing of such grandeur before, but it would be worth the effort.

"Pontentia Amoris! Et haec duo in carne una. Mecum, soror mea. Unum simus." There was a blast of light a gust of wind that felt like it would blow her away before everything faded to black.

The girl had disappeared.

"Scarlett!" Charlotte shouted for her sister until her throat was hoarse. She fell to the ground.

When Charlotte opened her eyes, she found herself in a beautiful garden coated with sunlight. Seated among the flowers was her sister.

"Scarlett!" She ran to her. "Where are we? You did your weird magic thing and disappeared."

"I'm in your body, Charlotte."

"What?"

"My body was weak; if I stayed as I was I would have died, and since I don't know any healing spells this was my only was to live."

"But how are we both going to use my body at the same time?"

"We won't. We take turns. How does every other day sound?"

"What about Saturdays?"

"Half and half. Either that or we sleep through it. That's the only way we can see each other. We meet in our dreams."

"Meaning I'm dreaming now. Life is about to get really complicated." Charlotte sighed.

"I don't doubt that in the slightest."

* * *

A/N: Well, apparently, sleep does not come to you when all you want to do is write fanfic. More hours of staring at the screen. Lol. Somehow, this chapter feels better that the last one. I think it's because I voice recorded most of it on my phone before typing it. Either that, or it's because I'm getting more accustomed to writing for the characters. I did kind of just jump into it at first, I was originally going to do these flashbacks of sorts afterwards, before I realized that this would flow better. Hopefully, I'm not screwing everything up(xD) and I'll see y'all next chapter.

Bye-a!


	23. Potential

**January 25, 2013**

Charlotte thought St. Lelia's High was prestigious, and it was, but damn her to hell if it measured up to the grandeur of the Cardolan Academic Institution. She had been a student for a few weeks, and she had yet to grow used to the spectacular view that she had just walking up its drive, more so the freedom allotted in many aspects. If only her sister was able to experience it right next to her at the same time… There was no use dwelling on it now. At least Scarlett was there at all, right? Charlotte told herself that she would soon acclimatize to her new lifestyle, but she knew it was easier said than done, and would take quite a while.

"Charlotte!" A girl with mocha colored skin and shoulder length black hair approached her.

"Hey, Isabel."

"Hey! I'll find you, I'll catch you, I'll come and g-g-get you!" Isabel began to sing.

Charlotte choked back a laugh. "The hell, Isabel?"

"You needed cheering up. Shit, I've got mathematics class like, right now. Gotta run, see ya!"

Charlotte walked slowly; there was currently no teacher for her drama class, so all she had to look forward to was the loud, obnoxious chatter of her classmates. It was going to be a long day.

After school had ended, she stayed a while to talk to Isabel, no one else, and then she was on her merry way.

The auburn-haired girl decided to stop at a stationery store which she never bothered to memorize the name of before she would hail a taxi to go home. She purchased a number of triangle shaped markers, coloured papers and acrylic paints as needed for one of her assignments.

"Excuse me." A girl with blonde hair and bright green eyes who seemed to be around nine years old tugged on Charlotte's blazer. Maybe she was lost?

"Yes…"

"Can I talk to you over there for a minute?"

Charlotte obliged, slightly cautious and soon found herself in a restroom in the store. It was for employees, but it was empty and she didn't expect to stay for too long.

"You _are_ aware of the soul sleeping inside you, right?" The pleading innocence in the child's eyes was gone. She was deadly serious. But how would she know…

"So you are then. This won't last."

"What?"

"You can't just have two souls in a human body. In a few years either one or both of them will be completely destroyed." The girl fished through the bag hanging over her shoulders, retrieving a book. "Here. You need to get one soul out of that body— take it from a fellow witch."

The girl left, having given the redhead a spellbook. Charlotte was not a witch.

That meant nothing. Either you're born a witch, a supernatural being with a natural humanoid appearance and the ability to use magical energy housed within yourself, or if you have the potential, you can become one, a human being with the ability to utilize the magical energy surrounding you. If she was mistaken for a witch, then maybe genetics could have played a part in this.

Maybe Charlotte had the potential to be a learnt-witch. If it turned out that she did, she would have to learn quickly as she wasn't going to just let herself and sister be obliterated from existence. She would find a way to solve this problem. She would do it— even if that would cause her to die.

* * *

A/N: Heya! There a few thing I feel the need to say here.

First off, I posted the wrong chapter on Saturday in place of chapter 21. That wasn't an FF glitch, it was my fault, sorry. I fixed that on Sunday, though. i just feel the need to actually apologize.

Also, you probably already know this, but here is no all-girls' called St. Lelia's High School in Cheltenham or a Cardolan Academic Institution(often referred to as Cardolan Academy) or Cardolan Drive anywhere near London according to my research. This is an AU. I made them up. Lol.

Lastly, if anyone happens to have any questions for any reason, I'm open to answering. I'm a newbie-writer, and while I'm fairly confident that my writing is decent at the very least, I'm aware that I'm highly susceptible to making mistakes, omitting details, or my writing style just being plain confusing. I have no qualms about explaining details that weren't clear in the story. That's it for now, and I'll see y'all next chapter.

Bye-a!


	24. Open Your Mind

**May 17, 2013**

Almost four months. Scarlett questioned as to why Charlotte no longer shared her memories and the answer was that she would wait until she was a 'formidable witch' to do it again. Really, it was just an excuse not to worry Scarlett, who was more likely to rush in and do something reckless. No, Charlotte would gather her resources gradually, and figure this out. There was one method she found so far, but that was to be a last resort. If over a year passed before she could find another solution, then gladly would she take that road. For now, however, she would learn and practise. Already, she was around the same level as Scarlett when it came to magic. This wasn't due to her having more natural talent at it than Scarlett, but rather, while Scarlett sat around and waited for knowledge to smack her in the face, Charlotte sought it out. It would pay off.

She left the house with seven candles in her bag, and went into a remote area of ruin, where she was unlikely to be disturbed. Clearing the appropriate amount of space, she placed the candles in a curved pattern, setting them all ablaze with words and touches.

She needed information, and she needed it badly. Information that few would willingly dispense even if they had it. She could always make attempts until the ability surfaced, but there was no time for that. She would force herself to be able to handle telepathy.

Her hand tensed as she forced it to stay in the same position on the ground. She had already tied her own mouth; she would get through this. Slowly she carved a spiral into the back of her left hand. Tears fell from her eyes and the screams that she attempted to hold back were loud despite the thick cloth that was intended to muffle them. Hopefully, no one would her. It was hard to keep her hand still in order to add the waves spanning out north and south of the centre, but she would have to. That made her determined to get through the ritual, but did nothing for the excruciating pain.

Quickly, she chanted as she passed her hand over each of the candles, "Scientia sit potentia. Sed aperi oculos mentis vestrae fraternati fieri. Mutatio rescindi non potest. Curabo autem ut aliquid addatur cicatrix manet."

Her wounds sealed themselves shut, something which normally would never happen so quickly, however, every bit of the pain remained and the scar left behind was swollen and burning. After this, Scarlett would always wake up to her hand feeling as though it were flaming as the marks disappeared, and Charlotte would experience the same feeling as it returned.

There was no turning back now.

* * *

A/N: Heya! I ain't got nothin' to say, I'm just stating that I hope y'all enjoyed this and I'll see you next chapter.(Not literally, but, wouldn't that be pretty cool though?)

Bye-a!


	25. To No Frution

"I don't get algebra. Through primary school and up till now, I don't get algebra." Isabel gently pushed her laptop to the left, and leaned her torso forward slightly over the table."

"All the topics you 'don't get' are things you should have learned years ago, Iz." Charlotte leaned back a bit into her chair, rather than forward like Isabel did. She sighed and opened a few educational websites in her browser. She was studious and so somewhat quick to learn, but that didn't mean she was good at assisting _others_ in learning. If she tried to explain anything to them on her own, they would afterwards be twice as confused as before she started.

"Everyone else always did, so I didn't want to be the one to ask." It was a common fear— standing out. The fear that when you did, your faults would be picked at.

"Well, I guess we'll just go way back to the— Aargh!" Suddenly, Charlotte had a splitting pain in her head that spread quickly throughout her entire body. Then it was gone.

It returned quickly after, but it wasn't to Charlotte. Rather, it was to Scarlett, who clutched her hand as the pain of a rather strange symbol burning away beneath her fingerless gloves overshadowed all other pain. Her soul was awakened outside of schedule. The event began a few months before, but was becoming much more frequent. Everything stopped and left her numb and confused.

"Charlotte, are you okay?" Isabel rushed over to the other side of the table to assist 'Charlotte'.

"I- I think I'm just a bit sick." There was, after all, no way that she would give the excuse that she was 'fine'. No one would be so stupid as to believe that after the previous display.

"You were screaming, Charlotte!"

"It's just a headache. I'll be fine." If Scarlett was playing the role of herself, the statement would have been different. Scarlett, however, was presumed dead after her body washed up on Gloucestershire shores, so she would have to be the most believable Charlotte she possibly could. It was getting easier all the time, though she once let it slip that her favourite tea was Darjeeling First Flush and now her sister had to pretend that she was the same. Charlotte's selectiveness in sharing memories was of no help, and whatever symbol engraved in her hand had etched itself into her soul, as it was always present in her dreams.

"We can prepare for the next term at some other time. I'll have you driven home, and you are going to rest," Isabel said in a gently yet authoritative tone.

"Yes, ma'am."

With the assistance of her friend, she left.

A few weeks later, Charlotte had everything set. There was no waiting for anything else. She had to act now, with hope that it would work.

"Scientia sit potentia! Numquid ego non sum dignus. Sed obsecro, anima mea novum, quod interitus tranquilla."

That was the simplest form of the spell she found, the only one that she was supposed to be able to do. But nothing happened. She tried again.

"Scientia sit potentia! Numquid ego non sum dignus. Sed obsecro, anima mea novum, quod interitus tranquilla."

She shouted with more ferocity. Nothing happened.

"Scientia sit potentia! Numquid ego non sum dignus. Sed obsecro, anima mea novum, quod interitus tranquilla!"

Again and again she shouted the same lines, yet nothing happened. She scoured as far as she could go for information. She had done ritual after ritual, experienced pain over and over, and had gone as far as to let an innocent child drown, all to no fruition! Was there really only one thing left to do? Was she really going to have to go to her last resort? There was nothing left. She was desperate, and really, as crazy as it sounded, existing as part of another creature sounded much more appealing than not existing at all. She remembered some things she had come across. They hinted at the beast that caused this still being out there. She had her wish. Now, all she had to do was gather material. She would end this. It would cost her life, but her existence was of more value. She would do the first thing she discovered, and the last thing she was willing to do.

She would give up her soul.


	26. On With It

The bluenette could no longer stand sitting in an unfamiliar place, with nothing to do other than give people who constantly stared at him the excuse that his attire was for a costume party when they finally decided to ask questions. He left, and walked aimlessly through streets. Maybe he would be able to find a place that wasn't very crowded and begin acclimatising to modernised London all at once.

Easier said than done. He did find himself in a rather secluded spot, though, so there was that. It was relaxing to be away from the annoying scrutiny of people whom he didn't care for.

His head felt like it was buzzing. The bluenette suddenly had a burst of nothing but raw energy and stamina, as he found himself running and hopping from buildings as speeds invisible to the naked human eye. His movements were wild, untamed and anything but graceful, but he knew there was only one place to go. There was a call, and he needed to answer it. He needed to be the one to answer it. It was instinct, determination and resolve. Through the open window on the top floor of a house he jumped, scratching himself and bumping his head, yet paying it no mind. It was as though he couldn't even feel the pain inflicted or the skin regenerating. All he could focus on was a feeling, and he soon found himself before a girl.

The girl had auburn hair that seemed to be cut, and attired herself in a similar fashion to most boys he had passed by. Her left hand had reminiscence of a burn in a very precise pattern, the lines within it showing that there was once a similar wound. From the accurate pentagram on the ground, to the blood that flowed from her right hand, it was obvious that the summon was deliberate. She endured this as though she was used to it, and looking at the demon before her, she felt a twinge of fear and in contrast relief, all mixed in with what she desired.

"I need someone dead." She cut to the chase. No point in prettying it up, was there?

Despite his dishevelled clothing and hair, along with his expressionless face, the bluenette's appearance was almost nothing short of impeccable. Even with luminous crimson irises, slit pupils and sharp teeth, he was undeniably aesthetically pleasing to the eye. That was what the human form of a demon was meant to be like— beauty that would cause one to stop and stare, run away, or be lured in as prey.

"Once sealed, this covenant can never be undone. Paradise, punishment, and all in between will never be within your reach once the promise is made. This is the final, decisive moment; you can turn back now, returning to life. Or, you can make the pact. The choice is yours. Choose."

It was slightly unnerving how demonic instincts worked. The words flowed from Ciel's mouth as though they had been practiced many times before; his tone was smooth, yet soft and even if one had the chance to walk away, just the sound of his voice would urge them not to.

The girl chuckled sardonically. "I'm at the point of no return. Mark my right hand and get on with it."

"So you have wished it, and so it shall be."

Sinking a sharp, black nail into her skin, he used his free arm to cover her mouth and muffle her screams.

* * *

A/N: _Finally._ All of the buildup to this moment, ya know? Ugh. I love how it wasn't till I got home and saw my laptop that I realised it was Friday. Been waiting all week to do this. Also, the reason why Charlotte is constantly referred to as 'the girl' is because the third person point of view is limited to Ciel for the chapter. You probably already knew that, but just in case there was somebody wondering, y'know? Well, I sadly have things to do (it's Friday and I'm tired life. Hello?) so Imma leave it at this and see ya 'round next chapter.

Bye-a!


	27. The Innocuous Cost Of Establishment

"I need one person dead— a werewolf with a snake carved into his back." As the auburn-haired girl said this, she did away with her chalks and candles, retrieving her cleaning materials which were ready and nearby. Her parents may hardly ever be home, but leaving this mess would have been bound to bring about problems.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad? It was one single person— surely the bluenette could pull that off. Though, he was never that proficient in combat; his expertise in that area was non-existent.

Ciel didn't speak, opting to wait for his contractee, who introduced herself as Charlotte, to elaborate further.

"The only problem is that I don't know his name, exact age or address. I only know what he looks like and have a general idea of a likely location. In other words, I have to find his identity first." She cleaned away the pentagram with ferocity.

At least she knew something. Ciel resisted the urge to knock his head against the cream coloured walls of his contractee's bedroom. Maybe now wasn't the best time to feel. Only determination— not reminiscence or irritation— would bring him to a proper end. Yes, that would work quite well. Wouldn't it?

Charlotte threw some peculiar looking garments towards the bluenette, which he caught clumsily. It would seem as though the graceful, seductive effect present earlier was only temporary.

"You look like you just walked out of the 18th century."

Actually, it was the 19th century.

"I don't know if you did, and whatever you tell people, they won't always believe it." She pointed towards a door to the right. "Change clothes there. When you're done here, you can keep them, burn them, give them up for charity— whatever. I don't care; I won't be able to."

It seemed irritation would be accompanying determination. Ciel masked it as he walked through the door. He would get through this. Afterwards, he could knock a tree over and smash it to bits. Hatred didn't fuel _all_ his anger at any point. It couldn't, could it? But why did it take him over a century to experience any trace of it again? He closed his eyes and opened them again after taking a deep breath. He still wasn't completely calm— he was worried, confused and annoyed— but he would pretend to be. No one needed to know what he felt unless he _wanted_ them to. Now, he would take on the challenge of changing his clothes. That was the real struggle.

Meanwhile, Charlotte's focus was not on how long it was taking for the demon to complete a simple task. Withered fingers with dead looking skin and an unidentifiable ominous aura wriggled through the small spaces in her windows. She frantically closed the windows more securely, and while some slipped away, a few remained and continued to writhe. There were raspy whispers and eerie, incoherent calls echoing in her ears. Charlotte rolled up her sleeve to look at the ever-glowing eye on her shoulder. Was this the result of forcing the 'Supreme Sight', or of her contract with the demon, 'Ciel'? Maybe stabilising the surfacing hers and her sister's souls with the Faustian contract came at the cost of her sanity. Or was it that selling her soul made her prey to unknown creatures? The moment her skin was sealed with the vine encased, iridescent blue pentacle, this was what she saw near the walls of her room. Why did she have so many windows? Whatever this was, hopefully, it was a temporary effect.

* * *

A/N: Heya! I'm here. Not updating over the weekend felt strange... It really integrated itself into my schedule, didn't it? It felt so weird to not be at my computer, typing words. But I have it here now. And this was the last day of school before the break! Whoo! Hopefully, (crossing my fingers and praying here) I'll somehow update more, even though I have an exam right after the break, that I also hope I will study for. Why, school? Why a history exam? Int the middle of the grade? Smh. Sorry bout that micro-rant there. Hope y'all enjoyed this li'l chappie, and Ill see you next time.

Bye-a!


	28. Crucial Details

"I only live on every other day, so you won't find me tomorrow," Charlotte said, marking specific dates on a large sheet of paper. "On that note, I have something I need to check quickly before it's cleaned up. You're taking me."

What was that, exactly? Did the English language change entirely over the century, or was it the girl who had trouble speaking it? The bluenette couldn't tell, though the former seemed more likely. Mimicking what Sebastian ad often done with him, despite its over-extravagance, he picked Charlotte up and resisted the urge to blush. She gave very precise instructions on where to go and what turns to take, and soon they found themselves at an odd scene.

Bound to a chair, especially around the hands, was a woman who appeared no older then in her early 30s. She smelled strongly of almonds and the sea, and carved cleanly upon her hand was a symbol that seemed to be a fox being squeezed to death by a snake. There was no blood. There was no water. There was only a tree behind her, as though she was carefully placed in this exact spot. Was there a reason for this? Was it arrogance? A ritual? The thought almost caused the bluenette to shudder, but he observed details of her appearance such as her short brown hair, caramel skin and medium-sized frame.

"Definitely it." Charlotte commented.

Definitely what, exactly?

"Remember that symbol. It's related."

That is most certainly one detail that had never been mentioned. Was there anything else he needed to know? Important details such as the location of the incident earlier mentioned? Its date? The current date?

"Look, there's something I'm going to need— some very crucial details— and it'll take a couple days. I' going to need you to help me get into a building through high windows, and help me sneak some files. Can you handle that, baby demon?"

"Yes," Ciel lied effortlessly while gritting his teeth and resisting the urge to slap his contractor with his claws. Don't feel. How could she even tell? The bluenette made a mental note to gain knowledge on a witch's perception of souls.

"Good. Go do whatever it is that you demons do. I'll call you when I need you." She said rather rudely, yet at the same time with a sickeningly sweet tone as she left. Maybe knocking a few trees over wouldn't be such a bad idea?

That would have to wait. The Phantomhive had just claimed to be able to do extraordinary jumps as well as espionage in the modern-day field at his own will, and there was absolutely no way that he would make a fool of himself by not being able to back it up. He was on a contract, so he wouldn't be needing sleep. With that, he ran quickly to find an even more secluded spot. He was fast, but just not fast enough. A normal human being could match him in a competition. Where was that momentum he found himself with previously? Apparently, that was natural instinct only, and would take more time to master. He didn't have time on his side, though. He would have to begin physical exercise— which he still wasn't too keen on— immediately. And find out the current date. With how strange it would feel to ask that question, the discovery may require an espionage mission itself.

* * *

A/N: _"Hopefully, I'll somehow update more."_ This lying bitch, amirite? Lemme never say that again. I've been gone for over two months. I ain't got no excuses. Ive only got explanations, but Imma put em in bold so y'all can skip em if you don't wanna hear(you mean see?) it.

 **Essentially** **, I studied for my history exams(which I'm certain I passed, btw) had to do other shit like replace my glasses which were no longer strong enough, then later realized that I had no clue whatsoever what I was doing with this arc. At all. I jumped in. So, I tried to plan my shit out into something half-decent, but then kept being to nervous to write the chapters,, then didn't have the creativity, then didn't have the motivation. Why am I here then? Determination. It'll get me through. When I start writing again, I realize just how fun it is.**

Coast clear now, guys. On that note, I encourage you to always have at least a general idea of what you want to do with your fanfic, to avoid long-ass hiatus' and fuck-ups. Oh, and I have 16 exams which begin in less than 2 weeks. So I don't have a set update date. I feel stressed thinking already. Y'all have probably had enough of my stupid rants and just wanna leave rn(unless you've already left; it's not like I'm interesting or anything, so...

Bye-a!


	29. Knock Out?

Charlotte had everything set. She knew where the files on this incident were kept and who would be there. Perks of mind reading, despite the disadvantage of a burning arm afterwards. There was some sort of a plan. Hopefully, it would work.

She heard strange sounds. She saw strange things.

Raspy breaths. Soft whispers. Hollowed eye sockets and withering, yet replenishing faces.

Charlotte shook her head, and took a deep breath. Now was not the time. They were always there, starting from the moment she sold her soul. If they were going to do something, it would likely have been done already. She couldn't let her fear take over. Not now. Not when there was work to be done.

"Ciel." Despite the nagging of her emotions, she pushed unrelated thoughts aside and called for the demon with her strength, might, mind and soul. She called for him in a soft voice, but with vehemence that made the back of her right hand tingle.

In a little over half a minute, he was there. Not bad for a newbie, really. She could spot demons by the aura that surrounded them. His was different than those that had been around a long time.

She had forced herself to have more than what should have been allotted.

Those with more power would always have something to be their Achilles heel.

One singular weakness that brought them down with ease would balance it out.

Charlotte pointed towards a Victorian style window near a navy blue building. "You get me through there, knock out anyone else in the room and I get the information we need."

Ciel's left eye twitched slightly. "Knock out?"

"Put them unconscious with blunt force." Ciel already figured that out. It was just a rather crude way to put it— not that he could talk.

"Stay here for a moment." Ciel ran to the building, jumped and opened the window. He returned for Charlotte, lifted her and pushed her through the window, resisting both his urged to blush and those to 'knock out' his other contract party instead.

Charlotte moved quickly and let the demon do whatever else.

Because of him, she would die. The girl dreaded it, but once more needed to do away with her thoughts. What else was to be done? She had already given promise, made the oath, and having her soul completely destroyed seemed much less appealing.

But what if that was the case with the demon? What if that was how she would be utilized? Perhaps her decision was too rash?

There was no turning back now. It was already done. She consoled herself by thinking that if it were truly so, there would be no tales of previously consumed souls surfacing or influencing the behaviour of demons. With every lot of fiction there was a bit of truth. She searched filing cabinets until she found what she wanted, took pictures of the papers with her phone, and then put them back. No need to let them know what was used.

She returned to find a uniformed man placed on a chair so that he seemed to be sleeping, another with eyes closed leaning against the wall and a blue-haired boy looking through the window.

"We've got somewhere to go."

It wasn't hard for her to hide the fact that she was amazed— not when there creepy looking creatures that smelt of death everywhere she went. She had to spend more time on hiding her fear. The one thing Charlotte couldn't tell was whether she wanted this to stretch out as long as possible or be done and over with.

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A/N: Hehe... um, hi? I got done with exams on like, June 30 but somehow it took me this long to write what like, 600 words... I ditched y'all for two months, posted one single shitty update and an apology, then ditched y'all for another month only to come back with another not-so-shitty chapter. i mean, I think it's not as bad? No, really, I forgot that when I don't write for a while chapters become harder since the flow is broken lol. Imma try harder now, and I really need to wrap up this whole contact thing— it's getting too drawn out and we really aughta check on Luka and Alois. But when it's done I'll be back in places where I have no clue what I'm doing. Nice going me. Plan the beginning, plan the end, and leave the middle for you to figure out along the way. Well, this is for fun anyways. And also to improve my writing. And also out there so other people can enjoy it.

Oh, yeah, I changed the cover. it's shitty, but at least it's self made lol. Also the description, 'cause I really just wanna make it more accurate. The whole Hannah thing is gonna get done, and while its one of the things I planned out the most, it's not the main point of the story. Not exactly. Just one of the most major events. The story is more on them coping with the changes in their lives and shit, if I can explain it like that. It'll get better... It'll get better...

Bout time I ended this long-ass a/n tbh.

Bye-a!


	30. Everybody Wins

"It was a man. It was definitely a man, so Claire and Rebecca are out. They're old women. Tracey's got a chance, if she's involved with Ian since they could be related," Charlotte said as she and Ciel were a safe distance from the last jewellery supply house they checked. And by checked, I mean they asked straightforward questions, had Charlotte read workers' minds then letting Ciel inconspicuously knock them out. Charlotte's statement most likely made absolutely no sense to you.

Potassium cyanide. That's what killed Ms. Emma Wright, and apparently, it wasn't a suicide. She couldn't have possibly tied _herself_ so efficiently to a chair _and_ made such precise markings on her own hand. Someone else was involved. Presuming this person was connected to the attempted murder of Scarlett Taylor, they were after a man. He would either be the culprit or lead them to there.

But that's not what they were looking for. They could leave an anonymous tip to the police afterwards if they felt like— at least, Ciel could— but finding the lycanthrope was main priority. Charlotte would be freed of the strange beings that always surrounded her, Scarlett would live, and Ciel would get his first soul. Everyone would win, though not everyone would live, which kind of ruined the positive effect. But that's not the point, so back to the case.

"That leaves us with Darren Walker, Ian Harris and Jason Gray. Darren's dead, so we don't need to worry about him for now. His amount wasn't as much as the others anyways." Charlotte clicked and swiped on her supposed 'phone' as she said this.

Ah, yes, the cellphone. You carry it around, use it for a camera that has decent quality and can easily contact people from far places. You can send letters called 'texts' at extremely fast speeds, and do research on almost anything and anyone without needing to leave your home. Ciel would need to obtain one of those at some point. They seemed awfully convenient, although it was quite embarrassing for the girl to explain that to him _then_ mock the fact that he 'must have really not have roamed the earth for centuries if he didn't know what it was'. Just because he was staring intensively at the strange device with a confused look whenever he saw it didn't mean he was unaware of what it was, now did it? Well, he did question how it is it contained the information they needed considering she left the files at the station…

"The main suspects would be Ian Harris and Jason Gray, then. They purchased the most significant amounts, and both seem to fit your descriptions."

"Ian Harris." Charlotte breathed. "He bought the most, and it's a known fact that Jason Gray actually has a lot of jewellery to work on— Ian doesn't. His quantity is completely unnecessary, even though almost everyone trusts him."

They tracked down his address and left, Ciel silently somewhat eager, yet Charlotte worried and scared.

* * *

A/N: When your pc don't work like it used to before #mylaptopcrashed. Lol. I just barely got my younger brother off Minecraft so I could write on the other computer lol. I've finally figured out a way to make this plot arc make SENSE. I feel like this is the best I've done for a long while, although I mostly had to try to get in bits and pieces one I could get a hold of tech. I think if I was able to write everyday, I'd get out chapters every week like I used to. I guess I'll have to at least try. It doesn't feel good only writing monthly. My creative flow freezes up when I do that lol. This has nothing to do with anything ere, but I started piano classes! Whoo~~ Ive wanted to take them since I was like 6 but it looked to hard. Turns out, its pretty easy. Anywho, enough about my boring ass life and repeatedly typing 'lol'. Hopin y'all enjoyed this chapter and...

Bye-a!


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